No.  104* 

WHY  DOJOU  SWEAR? 

BY  REV.  J.  N.  ANDREWS,  "OF  N.  C: 


Friend,  permit  me  to  ask  you  in  kind-* 
bess,  if  you  have  .well  considered  the 
words' which  I  just  now  heard  you  utter? 
As  a  thoughtful  man,  you  must  admit 
that  there  should  be  good  reasons  for  all 
the  acts  of  life.  lu  al  1  j  our  business  trans- 
actions, or  pleasure-seeking  pursuits,  do 
you  not  consider  before  hand  what  will 
be  ihe  probable  result  ?  And  if  y$u  have 
reason  to  believe  there  is  a  prospect  of 
advantage  to  you,  you  go  forward;  other- 
wise, you  do  not.  Why  do  you  invest 
your  money  ?  Why  do  you  pursue  a  pro- 
fession? Why  do  you  labor  with  your 
hands?  Why  are  yo'u  a  soldier?  For 
all  these  you  have  doubtless  good  and 
sufficient  reasons.  My  friend,  why  do 
you  swear?     I%ou  have  reasons  sufficient 


to  justify  you  in  the  practice,  certainly 
you. can  have  no  objection  to  telling  me 
what  ihey  are.  Came,  sit  down  a  While, 
and  "let  us  reason  together."  If.youcan 
convince  me  that  it  is  proper  and  profita- 
ble, as  a  reasonable  man,  I  mu&t  withdraw 
my  opposition  to  it.  But  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  shall  be  able  to  show  that  it  is 
highly  injurious,  and  extremely  danger- 
ous, will  you  not  Cease  it  forever  ?  we 
generally  speak  of  men  as  "being  possess- 
ed of  a  three-fold  .nature — the  -physical,, 
intellectual  and  moral  man.  Such  amah 
are  you!  Now  I  can  understand  how 
certain  pursuits  can' be  profitable  to  you* 
physical  man — labor  or  money-making, 
for  instance.  I  can  see  how  other  pur- 
suite  can  benefit  the.  intellectual — such  as 
study,  reading,  conversation,  &c,  I  am 
convinced  that  yet  other  practices  can  be 
of  advantage  to  the  moral  nature — these 
are  the  reading  of  God's  word,  prayer  to 
Htm,  and  faith  in  His  Son  -Jesua.  But 
tell  me,  does  swearing  -come  under  any  of 
these -heads  ? 

1.  As  a  meie   physical .  creature,  how 
much  are  yo'u  profited  by  being  a  profane 


man?  Have  you  made  more  money  by 
being  a  swearer  than  you  otherwise  would 
have  done  ?  Has  your  labor  been  easier  ? 
Can  you  march  longer,  and  endure  more 
fatigue  and  greater  hardships  because  you 
are  a  swearer  ?  Have  you  a  better  appe- 
tite— is  your  bread  sweeter  because  you 
swear?  Do  you  rest  more  quietly,  and 
is  your  sleep'more  refreshing  because  you 
profane  God's  holy  name  ?  Are  you  more 
exempt  from  bodily  suffering  and  diseas- 
es, and  will  ^ou.live  longer  because  you 
swear? 

Are  you  a  braver.  man%  u  better  so'ldier, 
and  more  ready  to  die  for  your-  country  ?~ 
To  all  these  questions  you  answer  like. an 
honest  man,  ISO !  Then  why  do  you 
swear,  when,  by  your  own  admission 
there  is  no  bodily  profit  ? 

2.  But  you  have  a  mind,  an  intellect. 
Does  swearing  improve  that  mind  ?  Are  = 
you  a  wiser  man  ioreveryoath  which  you 
utter  ?  Do  you  reason  more  clearly,  is 
your  intellect  more  elevated  by  reason  of 
profanity  r  Asa  rational  b  ein  g  y  on  ought 
to  have  exabed  ideas  of  the-  character  of 
■God)   does   swearing  produce  them,   or. 


4 

otherwise  ?  You  ougMXo  revere  an d  bon  • 
or  his  laws.  Does  the  swearer  do  so? — 
Then  why  do  you  swear? 

3.  But  farther.  .  You  have  amoral  na- 
ture. "What,  say  you  to  the  effect  of  pro- 
fanity upon  it?  You  are  are  a  better  or 
worse  man  because  of  it.  There  is  no 
neutrality.  Dare  you  say  that  you  are  a 
more  pio&s  man  because  you  swear  ?  Do 
yon  love  God  more — do  you  love  your 
fellow-man  whom  you  curse?  D.o  you 
love  the  Bible  which  condemn  sihe  swear- 
er ?  Do  you,  can  you  pray  for  yourself 
and  others  while.'your  mouth  is  foul  with 
curses  ?  Stop,  friend,  do  not  leave  so  ab- 
rpptly.  'Tis  because  I  love  you  that  I 
speak  thus  to  you.  Analyze,  for  just  one 
minute,  your  feelings  while  under  the 
power  of  this  demon  of  profanity  : 
.  First.  "With  reference. to  your-IIeavenly 
Father — -honestly  answer  me.  Do  yo.u 
not  feel  a  loss  of  respect  and  rever- 
ence for  His  holy  name  whom  you  revile  ? 
Is  not  your  heart  colder  ..and  more-rebel- 
-lious  toward  him  ?  Are  you  not  less  in- 
clined to  pray  to  Him  ?  Would  you  not 
prefer  that  His  eye   should   not  see,  His 


ear  hear  you?    Are  you   not  less  wiping 
to  meet  Him  at  the  judgment  ?     Yes. ! 

Secondly.  In  reference  to  your  fellow- 
mortal.  Do  ^ou  not  love  him  less  Or  hate 
him  more  ?  After  your  imprecations,  are 
you  not  more  ready  to  do  him  an  injury? 
Yes! 

Thirdly,  as  to  yourself.  Is  not  your 
heart  harder  because  of  profanity  ?  Is  it 
not  less  susceptible  of  divine  impressions? 
Is  it  not  more  gross,  beastly,  earthly,  sen- 
sual, devilish  ?  Yes  !  Have  you  listen- 
ed to  the  voicfc  of  conscience  in  this  mat- 
ter ?  No  !.  But  you  have  a  character — 
every  man  has  !  Has  not  your  character 
suffered^  in  the  eyes  of  all  good  and  ra- 
tional men  ?  Yes.  Do  you  respect  your- 
self &§  you  would  have  done,  had  you 
never  been  a  swearer  ?     No. 

Can  you  look  into  the^yes  of  that  pure  • 
woman  whom  you  call  mother,  wife  or 
sister,  and  feel  that  she  loves  you  more 
because  you  are  a  swearer  ?  "Would  you 
love  her  more,  were  she  as'proiane  as  V 
you  ?  Look  at  that  innocent  child ;  is  it 
a  pleasant  thought  that  he,  shall  become 
as  foul-mouthed  as  you  ?  i  No !  No ! !    But 


see  how  be  listens,  be  is  now  taking  bis 
first  lesson  in  profanity  from  you.  Your 
conscience  does  not  approve  it  in  your- 
self; you  would  not  recommend  it  to 
mother,  wife,  sister  or  child.  Then  why 
do  you  swear?  Ifow,  if  I-can  convince 
you  that  it  is  highly  injurious  and  extreme- 
ly dangerous,  will  you  not  cease  forever 
to  be  a  swearer  ? 

My  argument  is  simple.  What  ever 
*fails  to  benefit  the  physical  intellectual  or ■_ 
moral  nature  must  in  the  end  have  an 
opposite  effect — that  is  become  injurious.. 
There  are  few  if  any  points  of  absolute 
neutrality  in  the  moral  universe  and  cer- 
tainly this  is^  not  one  of  them,  and  you 
this  momentare  convinced  thatitis  injuri- 
ous, and  highly  so  because  it  carries  witb 
.  it  a  spirit  of  rebellion  against  conscience, 
society  and  God  wliich  ramifies  all  your 
nature.  Again.  All  open  and  volunta- 
ry transgressions  of  God's  holy  law  are 
extremely  dangerous,  because  it  puts, 
the  qreature  in  direct  opposition  to 
the. most  powerful,  wise,  holy,  and  just 
being  in  all  the  universe,  who  says  "  I  am 
a -jealous  God'and  will  not  give  my  glory 


to  another."  Will  He  then  allow  you  to 
d( tract  from  His  glory  with  impunity? 
The  most  open,  daring,  and  voluntary  sin 
which  men  commit  is  swearing.  There 
is  no  apology  for  it— lo  attempt  at  con- 
cealing it — no  lust  or  appetite  which  calls 
for  it.  The  murderer  commits  the  deed 
in  the  dark.  The  adulterer  in  secret. — 
The  extortioner  under  false  pretences. 
The  one  for  revenge,  the  other  for  lust, 
the  third  for  gain — but  you  swear  public- 
ly and  loudly  and  for — —nothing.  And 
now  listen  to  what  God  says,  and  may 
His  Holy  Spirit  impress  the  solemn  words 
of  warning  upon  your  heart.  "  Thou 
shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain,  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold 
him  guiltless- that  taketh  his  name  in 
vain.''  Ex.  xx  :  7.  "  For  thus  said  He 
unto  me,  This  is*the  curse  that  goeth 
forth  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth: 
for  every  one  that  steal eth  shall  be  cut  off 
as  on  this'  side,  according  to  it ;  and  eve- 
ry one  that  sweareth  shall  he  cut  off  as 
on  that  side  according  to  it."  Zech.  vi  3. 
"  For  the -land  is  full  of  adulterers  ;  for 
because  of  swearing  the  land  mourneth  : 


the  pleasant  places  of  the  wilderness  are" 
dried  up,  and.  their  course  is  evil, .and 
their  force  is  not  right."  Jer.  xxiii:  10.  * 
.  "  By  swearing  and  lying  and  killing 
and  stealing  and  committing  adultery, 
they  break  out,  and  blood'touchetrT blood. 
Therefore  shall  the  land  mourn,  and  eve- 
ry, one  that  dwell eth  therein  shall  lan- 
guish." Hos.  iv:  2- — 3. 

See  what  a  dark  catalogue  of  crimes 
and  you  by  your  .profanity  have  placed 
yourself  in  it,  made  yourself  a  compan- 
ion according  to  Gods  word  withers, 
murderers,  thieves,  and  adulterers.  Ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  Moses  a  man  was 
executed  for  cursing  the  name  of  God.— - 
And  h*l  declared  that  •"  whosoever  curs-- 
eth  his  God  shall  bear  ,his  sin."  How 
terrible  the  responsibility — d.are*you  meet 
it?  And  now  .farewell  ■;  perhaps  until 
the  judgment,  and  may  God  in  mercy 
help  you  to  cease  to  swear  *ind  learn  to  • 
pray.     Amen.  *:., 


